Assistant Dean, Marketing and Communications

Temple University • Philadelphia, PA

5d • $207,724 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Assistant Dean of Marketing and Communications for the Lewis Katz School of Medicine (Katz), under the direction of the Vice President for Strategic Marketing and Communications and the Dean of the Medical School, serves as the school’s senior marketing and communications leader. The Assistant Dean will create, lead, and direct a comprehensive marketing and communications strategy to strengthen and advance the school’s reputation, visibility, and engagement with key stakeholders.

Working with the Office of the Dean, school leadership, and marketing and communications colleagues across Temple University and Temple University Health System, the Assistant Dean leads a unified marketing and communications program that supports the school’s academic, research, clinical, and philanthropic priorities. This includes shaping and executing an integrated brand, content, and communications strategy that elevates Katz’s distinction in medical education, research innovation, clinical excellence, and community impact.

This position is an exciting opportunity for a seasoned professional to lead marketing and communications at one of our most pivotal schools and to work closely with colleagues within central Strategic Marketing and Communications and across campus to enhance the visibility and reputation of Katz. The successful candidate will be an inspiring leader and an effective advocate for the school, serving as a key collaborator within the larger university and Health System environment.

Founded in 1901 as Pennsylvania’s first co-educational medical school, the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University attracts students and faculty committed to advancing individual and population health through culturally competent patient care, research, education, and service. Katz delivers medical education across three campuses, its flagship North Philadelphia campus (home to Temple University Hospital), St. Luke’s University Health Network in Bethlehem, PA and WellSpan Health in York, PA (opening 2027), offering students broad clinical experiences in diverse urban, suburban, and rural settings. The school confers the MD degree; MS and PhD degrees in Biomedical Science; the MA in Health Justice and Bioethics; the MS in Physician Assistant Studies; a certificate in Narrative Medicine; a non-degree post-baccalaureate program; numerous dual-degree programs; and, in partnership with Temple University Hospital, supports 40 residency and fellowship programs.

Katz also manages a robust and growing portfolio of publicly and privately funded research, with specialized centers focused on heart disease, cancer, metabolic disease, substance use disorder, population health, and other urgent regional and national priorities. Its state-of-the-art medical education and research facilities anchor a vibrant community of discovery and innovation, preparing future clinicians and scientists for the rapidly evolving healthcare landscape. To learn more, visit medicine.temple.edu.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree and at least 10 years of directly related experience.
• Experience in leading effective marketing/communications functions, preferably within an academic medical center.
• Experience in working with marketing and communications tools and operationalizing best practices.
• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered
• Demonstrated leadership and supervisory skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and build productive relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Fluency in editorial, marketing, and academic/research communications.
• Superlative written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to synthesize complex ideas into content that is engaging to lay audiences.
• Demonstrated understanding of principles, strategy, and methods in the areas of communications, fundraising, marketing, event planning, brand management, advertising, and public relations.
• Demonstrated ability to plan and manage editorial operations.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with a demonstrated ability to work successfully across multiple departments and effectively collaborate with others.
• Demonstrated critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Strong attention to detail and organization skills with a proven ability to multi-task and manage deadlines.
• In-depth knowledge of crisis communication management.
• Demonstrated budget management experience.
• Familiarity with trends in higher education communications and marketing.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in communications, marketing, or a related field preferred.
• Experience in healthcare and/or academic medicine marketing leadership strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the senior leader responsible for marketing and communications strategy for Katz, with accountability to both the Dean and the Vice President for Strategic Marketing & Communications for the University.
• Partner closely with the Assistant Dean for Development & Alumni Relations to ensure seamless integration of philanthropic messaging, donor engagement communications, and campaign-related marketing.
• Collaborate with Temple Health’s marketing and communications teams to ensure aligned messaging, coordinated storytelling, and consistent brand experiences across clinical, academic, and research environments.
• Provide strategic counsel to school leadership on reputation-building, issues management, media strategy, and institutional positioning.
• Advocate for Katz’s priorities while ensuring alignment with the university’s brand architecture, standards, and communications strategy.
• Shape, refine, and steward Katz’s brand narrative across all platforms, ensuring a cohesive and compelling story that highlights the school’s mission, impact, and differentiation.
• Lead a multi-platform content strategy—including web, digital, print, social media, executive communications, video, and campaign materials—that supports strategic objectives across education, research, clinical care, and advancement.
• Develop and maintain key message platforms and communications frameworks that support school-wide priorities, including research visibility, faculty accomplishments, student success, and community engagement.
• Build a dashboard of KPIs to measure marketing effectiveness, brand perception, audience engagement, and ROI.
• Provide direction and oversight for internal and external communications and content strategy. Collaborate with SMC on proactive and reactive earned media strategies to enhance and protect the reputation of Katz, serving as the school-based lead on crisis/issues communications.
• Oversee the production of high-quality print, digital, and multimedia assets—including newsletters, magazines, annual reports, event collateral, web content, and marketing campaigns.
• Ensure proactive storytelling to elevate Katz’s clinical, research, and educational leadership locally, nationally, and globally.
• Support philanthropic initiatives through compelling storytelling, donor engagement materials, campaign messaging, impact reports, solicitations, acknowledgments, and stewardship communications.
• Strengthen alumni engagement through strategic communications, digital outreach, and signature publications.
• Provide strategic direction for all executive communications for the Dean, ensuring messages reflect institutional priorities, tone, and brand standards.
• Oversee and guide the Senior Associate Director of Executive and Internal Communications in developing speeches, remarks, presentations, and written communications on behalf of the Dean. Review, refine, and approve executive-level content to ensure clarity, accuracy, and alignment with the Dean’s voice and the school’s strategic objectives.
• Partner with SMC to ensure the Dean’s communications are coordinated with broader institutional messaging and initiatives.
• Direct, mentor, and evaluate a team of communications and marketing professionals
• Manage external partners including writers, designers, photographers, agencies, and consultants.
• Oversee budget planning, resource allocation, and long-term strategic planning for the marketing and communications function.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Full medical, dental, vision coverage
• Paid time off
• 11 Paid Holidays
• Tuition remission - eligible employees and their dependents can obtain a degree TUITION FREE
• A generous retirement plan and so much more!

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level